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Kasuri-inspired Kyoto placemats from Chilewich

July 24, 2012 | 12:04
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When Sandy Chilewich came up with a technique for weaving extruded vinyl yarn into floormats and placemats, the textile designer had a business.

I still have the silvery Chilewich floormats I bought to protect the floor in front of the sink and stove years ago. Since then, her vinyl placemats have been a runaway success with restaurants, and she’s branched out into coasters, bags, window shades, pet mats, iPhone cases and more.

Every year, she comes up with new designs. I’ve been disciplined, though, and haven’t added to my stash of placemats until now. When I spotted the newish Kyoto pattern, which mimics the Japanese ikat called kasuri, I had to have it. When I couldn't find it in any local cookware or other stores, I looked online. Eventually, I turned up some from Design Public, a set of four for $67 -- and free shipping.

They come in three colorways -- ghost (a silvery gray), cocoa (a warm brown) and cinder (charcoal and brown). The genius is that these are reversible.